Quarterly Financial Data - Summarized Financial Data (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 9,789	$ 10,594	$ 10,363	$ 9,435	$ 9,630	$ 10,706	$ 10,827	$ 9,827	$ 40,180	$ 40,990	$ 42,650
Operating expenses	9,022	9,163	8,612	8,100	8,562	8,707	8,906	8,611	34,896	34,786	38,401
Operating income	767	1,431	1,751	1,335	1,068	1,999	1,921	1,216	5,284	6,204	4,249
Net income	$ 289	$ 737	$ 950	$ 700	$ 3,281	$ 1,693	$ 1,704	$ 932	$ 2,676	$ 7,610	$ 2,882
Earnings per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.56	$ 1.40	$ 1.69	$ 1.15	$ 5.24	$ 2.56	$ 2.47	$ 1.34	$ 4.85	$ 11.39	$ 4.02
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.56	$ 1.40	$ 1.68	$ 1.14	$ 5.09	$ 2.49	$ 2.41	$ 1.30	$ 4.81	$ 11.07	$ 3.93
Shares used for computation (in thousands):
Basic (in shares)	514,571	525,415	563,000	606,245	626,559	661,869	688,727	696,415	552,308	668,393	717,456
Diluted (in shares)	518,358	528,510	566,040	611,488	644,140	680,739	707,611	716,930	556,099	687,355	734,016
American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 9,786	$ 10,591	$ 10,360	$ 9,427	$ 9,619	$ 10,694	$ 10,814	$ 9,811	$ 40,163	$ 40,938	$ 42,676
Operating expenses	8,995	9,159	8,603	8,104	8,555	8,691	8,893	8,610	34,859	34,749	38,410
Operating income	791	1,432	1,757	1,323	1,064	2,003	1,921	1,201	5,304	6,189	4,266
Net income	$ 341	$ 758	$ 972	$ 710	$ 3,751	$ 1,723	$ 1,709	$ 937	$ 2,781	$ 8,120	$ 2,948